Joint venture simplifies smart home deployment

The energy and telco group NTE is the launch partner when smart home platform provider Viva Labs and sourcing and services provider Solar Group join forces to make it easier for telcos and utilities to launch their own smart home solutions. 

The focus of NTE is to develop united energy solutions that make everyday life easier, more efficient, and better for their customers. Their Viva-based solution makes it easy to get a smarter and safer home, both for new and older buildings.  

“Together with Viva Labs and Solar, we’ve developed a wholly digital value chain for smart homes. Viva Labs and Solar and leading vendors in their areas, and together we’ll create great experiences for our customers”, says CEO Svein Olav Munkeby at NTE Marked. 

The Viva smart home platform is already used by companies across Europe, including Telekom Austria Group. The cooperation with Solar Group makes it even easier for new partner to chose the Viva platform for their move into this fast-growing market. 

“Our goal is to make it easy for telcos and utilities to offer own-brand smart home solutions”, says Henrik Holen at Viva Labs.

“Together with Solar, we’ve now removed one of the biggest obstacles to launch — the investment in logistics and stock — for both small and large players.”

As a leading European sourcing and services provider, Solar solves sourcing and logistics on behalf of Viva partners who require the service. With Solar, they no longer need to invest in their own hardware stock, but can instead buy as needed and have the devices drop shipped directly to the end consumer. Chief Commercial Officer Hugo Dorph from Solar welcomes NTE:

“NTE is yet another seal of approval for the Viva smart home platform, and we’re happy that they see the additional value Solar can bring. It supports our digital network strategy and strengthens our role as a sourcing and logistics partner within the smart home.” 

About Viva Labs AS: Viva Labs is an Oslo-based smart home platform provider using artificial intelligence to enable mass market adoption for smart homes. Viva-based products work out of the box, without programming, and then adapt to family routines and behaviours, controlling heating, security, and lights. 

The platform is available as white label SaaS solution that lets ISPs, telcos, utilities and others launch smart home solutions under their own brand.  

About Solar Group: Solar Group is a leading European sourcing and services company, operating primarily within the electrical, heating and plumbing, and ventilation technology sectors. Our core business centres on product sourcing, value-adding services and optimisation of our customers’ businesses. 

Solar Group is headquartered in Denmark, generated revenue of approximately DKK 10.6bn in 2015 and has some 3,000 employees. Solar operates under the short designation SOLAR B and has been listed on Nasdaq Copenhagen since 1953. 

About NTE: Nord-Trøndelag Elektrisitetsverk AS (NTE) is an energy utility company that is owned by North Trøndelag County Council. The principal business services offered by NTE include: the production, distribution and sale of green and renewable energy; the supply of electrical installations; and sales of electrical consumer goods, broadband and external engineering contracting services.  

NTE was founded in 1919 and is headquartered in Steinkjer, Norway. Our goal over the last 90 years has been, and will continue to be, to modernize North Trøndelag. 

NTE's core business is the production and distribution of electric energy, operating a total of 28 hydro power plants and two windmill parks. For over 20 years, NTE has been one of the leaders in the development of wind technology along Norway's coast. NTE continues to search for opportunities to develop clean and renewable energy sources to meet the challenges of global climate change.